Millicent Hall

Millicent Hathaway Hall-Spong (1 November 1881 — 12 January 1958) was an English fencer. She was a member of Salle Bertrand in London.

She became national champion in 1907, 1908 and 1922. She competed as at the 1908 Summer Olympics in the open foil event. This event was held a demonstration event. She was the only female participant, competed against men and so she was the first female Olympic fencer.

Hall was one of the British fencers who competed at one of the earliest international fencing competitions, the 1910 England–Belgium women's fencing competition. Here she competed against Marthe Pungs and later also against , the Dutch fencing master who taught the Dutch ladies. She won an international competition against Dutch women of Salle De Vos during the 1911 England–Holland women's fencing competitions in London. According to the Dutch newspaper De nieuwe courant Hall was together with Julia Johnstone, much better compared to the other British women. After a period of not fencing, she started fencing again in late 1913. She competed in November 1913 at the 1913 Alfred Hutton Memorial Challenge Cup where she was described of making "excellent assaults". In this competition she was eliminated in the semi-final.

She became the first president of the Ladies’ Amateur Fencing Union in 1930.

References

Category:1881 births
Category:1958 deaths
Category:British fencers
Category:Olympians for Great Britain
Category:Sportswomen
Category:Competitors at the 1908 Summer Olympics